Africa may be the second largest Continent on Earth and is easily recognizable on the map of the world, but Africa also contains small islands off of the coast that share culture, language, and products with the mainland. These islands might be too small to easily see from a paper map because they are so small.
Cabo Verde is one of the small islands located west of Senegal in Western Africa. Cape Verde is not just one piece of land, however, it is a group of 10 small islands. While Cabo Verde is located in Africa, all of the names of the islands are Portuguese. Portuguese explorers discovered the islands and made colonies on Cabo Verde. The Islands became an important location for trade between Africa, Europe, and The United States.
Cabo Verde Facts
1. Cabo Verde Only Has Two Seasons
Because Cabo Verde is located close to the equator, the climate and weather is very tropical. Because of this, Cabo Verde never experiences cold seasons like fall and winter. Instead of spring, summer, fall, and winter, Cabo Verde’s two seasons are called the rainy and dry seasons. These two seasons last half of the year. Dry season is difficult for farmers and food production because there are very few plants that can grow easily without water. This means that during the rainy season, the farmers need to work especially hard to produce food, an interesting fact about Cabo Verde.
2. Cabo Verde Has a Very Strong Government
There are many different styles of government in Africa, and many of them are very weak and unstable compared to other countries. Cabo Verde is said to have the strongest government in all of Africa. The Portuguese influence on the islands has created a democratic government that is a primary example of organized government in Africa.
3. One of the 10 Islands in this isalnd is Uninhabited
Since the 15th century, nine of the islands in Cabo Verde are inhabited by people, but one was never settled on. Even in the modern day, nobody lives on the island named Santa Luzia. Santa Luzia is only 35 square kilometers, and because of its small size, nobody is permitted to live there, an interesting Cabo Verde fact. Most of the population lives on the island name Santiago, where the capital Praia, is located.
4. There are over 100 types of Birds in Cabo Verde
Cabo Verde’s climate attracts many species of birds to come to the island through the year. Many birds from mainland Africa fly to Cabo Verde to enjoy the rainy season. There are also many birds that fly from Europe to experience the warm Cabo Verde weather. One of the most exotic birds found on the islands is the Flamingo.
5. Portuguese is the Official Language in this country, But Not the Most Spoken Language
Due to the colonial history of the islands, the presence of Portuguese language and culture is very strong in Cabo Verde. Because of this deep history with the European nation, Portuguese is the official language in Cabo Verde. There is still very deep and rich African culture that is found on Cabo Verde’s islands and because of this, a combination of African languages and Portuguese vocabulary formed the most spoken language in Cabo Verde called Crioulo. Even though most of the people speak Crioulo, the schools in Cabo Verde do not teach students how to properly speak it, and they only instruct in Portuguese. Many of the Crioulo language techniques are passed down through family and cultural events.
6. African and European Religions Combine at this country
A majority of the people in Cabo Verde practice Catholicism, but similar to the language, there is a mixture of African and Portuguese culture within religion. Catholic holidays and religious ceremonies are common, but many of these events include African cultural twists. African cultural dances, music, food, and art have become a part of these Catholic practices, an interesting fact about Cabo Verde. The unique celebrations and ceremonies in Cabo Verde cannot be found in a similar style anywhere else in the world.
7. Its Most Popular Art is Storytelling
One of the most popular forms of art through ancient history is the art of storytelling. In the modern world, we still receive stories, but through things like books, TV, and video games. Cabo Verde has a link to the ancient world because the people there still sit down and listen to the great storytellers in person. These storytellers share long tales of great African heroes or historical events, an interesting fact about Cabo Verde, and these stories are called Nho Lobo tales.
8. There is Only One Native Animal in Cabo Verde
While it was mentioned that there are many species of birds in Cabo Verde, none of them are native to the island, a fun Cabo Verde facts. All of the birds and other animals in Cabo Verde were brought from other countries. The only native animal to this country is the long-eared bat, which can also be found in other African countries. Because of the size of many of the islands, there are very few animals that live in Cabo Verde, most of the animal products come from mainland Africa.
Conclusion
Cabo Verde is a very unique country within Africa. Many of the African countries have been influenced by colonialism throughout history, but no country has as strong European influence as Cabo Verde. The Portuguese language, religion, government, and culture influence most parts of everyday life on the islands. While the European influence is strong, there are many African cultural practices that still remain a part of life here and have influenced many of the families in Cabo Verde. The long history of Cabo Verde and its role in colonial trade created the original economy and has continued to grow to this day. The combination of the two different worlds from Europe and Africa has created a very unique blend of culture that is unique to Cabo Verde. While the islands of Cabo Verde may be very small, the rich culture that runs deep in this country is a huge influence on the rest of Africa.
I hope that this article on Cabo Verde facts was helpful. If you are interested, visit the Country Facts Page!
